Isn't Track and Field Day great? Oh, yeah - we did run and jump a little too.

Another week has come and gone. Funny how fast time passes sometimes. Right now, we are in a heat wave here in Niagara - July weather in the month of May. Freezies, popsicles, syringe wars (our version of water guns), and jumping on the trampoline with the sprinkler underneath all help pass the hot days.

Both Rachel and Janneke have been fighting a nasty cold virus. Janneke's virus seems to have moved into an infection, so we started antibiotics yesterday. Here's hoping for more sleep! Rachel is feeling better, so we put some more kms on the stroller in the last few days.

She was not happy about the sun hat, but she did like the geese.

Our first race is Saturday - the Rankin Cancer Run. It's a great event, one which raises money for cancer support and treatment specifically in Niagara.

When Rachel and I are running, it is a good time to think. It is not safe to wear a headset or ear buds while pushing a stroller, and I would miss out on all of Rachel's yells, cheers, and babble - that's real music.

The thinking time is good. Running is a spiritual experience for me - the hills in the course help me visualize the hills in my life. I often think about others with their struggles too. It can be a good time to pray.

This week, as we get ready for Saturday, my thoughts drift to the Vandendool family whose son Mike fought the cancer battle. Mike left his earthly home in April 2008; he was only twelve years old.

And there are others, people close to us who are dealing with physical issues such as knee troubles and other limitations, and those who are dealing with emotional issues that surpass our understanding.

We all have a journey.

So, when I am approaching that killer hill for Locks 4, 5, and 6 on the canal parkway, I think one step at a time. Really. Keep the stroller close, don't give up, don't stop, and take it one step, one step, one step....

And I then ask for patience and His strength to keep going and that the same patience and strength will cover those who come to mind.

I am thankful that Rachel and I are supported by her big sisters who want to run their own races in due time. Ralph is a great coach, guiding me on good training tips and keeping the racing stroller in good shape. Sometimes, Janneke comes along for a training run, but we won't race the two of them until we have a safe stroller option for two together since our racing stroller only fits one. (We have old green carriage that can carry two, but it is not safe for a race. It has carried grown men for an afternoon of dirt bike jumping while camping with Redeemer friends, so you know it has seen better days, right, Cory?)

This week: Rankin Run. Next race: June 8 - Ancaster Old Mill Run. That race is a very special one to me since my mom ran it several times in the past, and even when she was one of the last ones to finish, she proudly finished. She fought cancer too -and in the month we celebrated her remission (June 1997), she was taken from this earth in a car accident. Those Ancaster hills carry both grief and joy for me.

And joy came yesterday in the form of a funny behaviour from Rachel. On her walk with Michelle, she reached up her arm, grabbed her sun hat, pulled it off her head and dropped in on the sidewalk. That is a big deal. She is tactile sensitive, so grabbing something is HUGE, and that she was so deliberate to remove her hat brings JOY.

Tomorrow is Rachel's MRI, a long-awaited test that may or may not have some clues to understanding both girls. Janneke finished her hormone testing two weeks ago, but we will not learn those results until the third week of June.